With just a few days remaining until the launch of the Gamefound campaign for Masters of the Universe: Battleground, anticipation surges as fans from many parts of the world prepare to delve into this epic adventure for the first time. It's the perfect moment to unveil one of the new factions introduced in this campaign—a new type of evil lurking among the shadows of ancient ruins and the depths of forbidden swamps. Creatures with bodies coiled in serpentine form and eyes gleaming with sinister intelligence. Snake Men has returned!
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Snake Men
For the cunning Snake Men, victory lies not in honorable combat but in the art of striking from the shadows when least expected. Their arrival in Masters of the Universe: Battleground heralds a new era where deception reigns supreme. Yet, despite their mastery of subterfuge, Snake Men must play carefully, for their strength lies not in brute force but in the ability to outmaneuver and outwit their opponents. Each decision must be made with precision and cunning, as one misstep could spell disaster.
Trigger Cards
Ambushes are the favored tactic of the Snake Men. This expansion introduces fate cards with the keyword 'Trigger,' mirroring the sudden strikes of these cunning creatures. These cards can be played conventionally or swiftly and unexpectedly, interrupting your opponent's mid-activation actions when a specified trigger event occurs. With every carefully laid plan and cleverly timed maneuver, Snake Men trap their enemies, ensuring that those who dare to challenge them pay dearly.
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Alternative Deployment
For those seeking even more devious tactics, certain new characters have skills featuring the keyword 'Alternative Deployment.' These individuals ignore standard deployment rules, entering the battle in their own unique way. Naturally, their unconventional arrival allows them to catch their enemies off guard, striking from unexpected angles and exploiting vulnerabilities with ruthless precision.
King Hsss
The leader of the Snake Men is a wielder of dark magic who reigns supreme as a battlefield tactician. He can manipulate the flow of combat with the ability to place a mark on the battleground. Any unfortunate soul who ends their activation in proximity to this mark must move towards King Hsss. This manipulation extends even further! Whenever an ally performs an interruption, King Hsss can spend Mana points, seizing the opportunity to interrupt the same target himself! This tactical finesse grants him control over the battlefield and ensures that his enemies remain at his mercy!
Useful Cards:
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King Hsss in Action
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King Hsss places his mark adjacent to the objective token, preparing the ambush. Alongside Kobra Khan, the duo waits patiently for the prey. Their vigilance is rewarded as Tri-Klops ends his activation next to the mark, unwittingly falling into their trap.
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Tri-Klops has no choice but to advance toward the King Hsss, triggering Kobra Khan's overwatch. Snake opens fire!
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Expending two mana points, King Hsss interrupts Tri-Klops. The repercussions of this strike are felt keenly!
Kobra Khan
The primary ranged damage dealer of the Snake Men is also a master of camouflage, evading enemies whenever possible! Pursuing Kobra Khan proves to be quite a challenge, as each trigger card played on him grants him the ability to vanish entirely from the battleground, only to reappear at the beginning of the next round. Kobra Khan can cloak the battlefield in a Hypnotic Mist, sapping the power of any unfortunate souls ensnared within. With every breath tainted by its insidious influence, the odds stack higher against those who dare to oppose the serpentine forces of the Snake Men.
Useful Cards:
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Kobra Khan in Action
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As Kobra Khan is on the brink of defeat, Man-At-Arms seizes the opportunity to deliver what could be the decisive blow. With a swift and determined strike, he inflicts a third wound upon the serpent, bringing him closer to oblivion.
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Victory proves elusive as Kobra Khan uses a trigger fate card, interrupting the assault.
He shoots at Man-At-Arms, inflicting a single wound before vanishing in a swirl of shadows. He will reappear in a more advantageous position at the start of the next round.
Lady Slither
Lady Slither is a very interesting addition to the ranks of the Snake Men. The player deploys her by placing two markers on the battleground—one real and one fake. Upon the removal of the true token, Lady Slither materializes on the adjacent hex! Moreover, Lady Slither can employ this skill again, granting her unparalleled swiftness and agility across the battlefield. However, her strength lies not in direct confrontation but in exploiting vulnerabilities and targeting weaker adversaries. Thus, discretion and strategic maneuvering are paramount when unleashing Lady Slither's prowess.
Useful Cards:
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Lady Slither in Action
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Lady Slihter still isn't on the battlefield. Where is she going to appear? Only the player who placed those marks knows, leaving the opponent guessing and on edge as they anticipate her in one of two possible positions.
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The opponent anticipates Lady Slither next to the objective token and positions He-Man to intercept her. However, they made a mistake. As the round drew close, Lady Slither materialized on the alternate mark, catching Orko off guard!
Rattlor
Rattlor is a warrior-mage hybrid, leveraging the strategic placement of marks on the battleground to enhance his power. His signature weapon grants him free re-rolls for each mark present—a potent advantage indeed. Yet, what of adversaries who evade those marks? Fear not, for Rattlor possesses the ability to move marks over the battlefield. Additionally, he can place his own mark, bolstering the defenses of every character who stands in its vicinity. While this boon may prove advantageous for the more delicate Snake Men, it is far less useful for opponents with high defenses.
Useful Cards:
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Rattlor in Action
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As foes wisely steer clear of Lady Slither's marks, Rattlor emerges to disrupt their cautious strategy.
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Rattlor moves Lady Slither's mark closer to the enemy and unleashes the Spell of Separation, detonating the mark and inflicting a wound upon Stratos.
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With the removal of the token by the Spell of Separation, Lady Slither emerges onto the battlefield, ready to cause chaos.
Sssqueeze
Snake Men, while lacking in resilience compared to other factions, find their saving grace in Sssqueeze. With his elongated arms, he can strike at foes from a distance of two hexes, granting him a significant edge over other fighters. Furthermore, Sssqueeze gains focus whenever a character in their force uses a trigger card, rendering him very challenging to eliminate, especially when he equips the appropriate gear.
Useful Cards:
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Sssqueeze in Action
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He-Man is contesting an objective. However, Sssqueeze is undeterred, ready to rise to the challenge and confront the mighty warrior head-on.
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Sssqueeze strategically positions himself two hexes away from He-Man, attacking with his mace, forcefully pushing back the mightiest man in the universe. Now, he braces himself for the inevitable retaliation. Thankfully, Sssqueeze can regenerate focus, allowing him to capitalize on the power of the mace multiple times per round!
Fang-Or
The main close-combat specialist of the Snake Men, known for striking from the shadows. He entrances the battlefield at the beginning of the second round, emerging in any chosen deployment zone. Why waste time traversing the entire map when one can appear next to their target? Dealing with this opponent proves to be a challenge, particularly when he capitalizes on the ability to interrupt using trigger cards, granting him two action points instead of one. Furthermore, he gains additional dice when engaging enemies within their deployment zone. Fang-Or is a threat even to adversaries as formidable as He-Man himself!
Useful Cards:
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Fang-Or in Action
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He-Man remains close to Orko, anticipating the imminent arrival of Fang-Or.
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There he is! He-Man activates before Fang-Or, moving forward, aiming to seize the advantage with the first strike. However, his hopes are swiftly dashed as he underestimates his opponent's speed and agility.
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Fang-Or uses a trigger card to interrupt He-Man. First, he strikes with his enormous fangs, then follows up with a dagger thrust. Despite He-Man's retaliatory strike, the battle is far from over. Fang-Or will continue the onslaught during his activation! Should He-Man fall, Orko is next!
Snakes on Eternia
The Gamefound campaign is right around the corner. Be sure to follow our page to stay updated and ensure you don't miss a thing! Do you have any questions? You can reach us through the BoardGameGeek Facebook group or in the comments section on the Gamefound page!
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